Problems with kit

[Ivory]

We're having a problem with Muffin's single kitten. It's ten Its stomach is huge. Not in the smooth, round way that they're supposed to be big- I mean waaaaay, waaaaaay too large. It feels like a huge liquid balloon.

Muffin isn't very filled with milk, I don't know if she's overfeeding or what, but the size of the kit's stomach is abnormally large. I know they can get enterotoxemia, or that if the doe is overfeeding there can be problems with the cecum.

The kitten's stomach doesn't feel distended it's just far too big. It almost looks like this huge blob with little legs.

The teeth are fine, the gums are fine.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Oh no

Is there a way to monitor her? and the kit? can you bring her in and not let Mama out loose until it's better?

 

[aurora369]

I've seen this before. Last time Sekura had a litter with her old owners, she only had one survive (all the others where deformed because she was too old to be bred anymore). The baby was extremely well feed as Sekura was a very experienced mother, her tummy is still super saggy from how stretched out her teats got.

The baby looked like a little frog... Super round belly and his legs looked tiny compared to the rest of him.

This happened at the same time I lost my first doe to GI stasis while she had three babies. So I fostered her three babies in with Sekura. One of the babies died because it was a peanut and the others where fine.

I've also had a singleton baby when I fostered Penny and her baby Tony. He was very well fed as well. Tummy was abnormally large, but he slimmed down as he started to wean.

Is it possible for you to find some other babies in rescue that you could foster in with the single baby?

The baby is 10 days old now, so in about 4-5 days will be exploring and moving around. That will help get the pudge off.

You can try monitoring feedings, but as his eyes are opening soon and he'll get active, I don't know how well that will work.

I would just keep an eye on him and he should be fine.

I'm sure more people with breeding/baby experience will chime in soon.

 

[Ivory]

No, there aren't any other does nursing or pregnant at the moment, they're all spayed. She was an accident, lol.

For now we're keeping it in with Muffin, Muffin is being a great mommy, but I just don't know if the best thing is to take it out and only let Muffin have limited access to her, or what.

 

[RunnyBabbitRabbitry]

I had this happen with a doe and babe. She only had one to live and it would get so full it couldn't even roll over, it was funny but not at the same time. I talk to another more experienced breeder when this happened and she said it would be fine but that if I was worried I could take the baby away and only let her feed it but that it was up to me. Well I tried to take the baby away and the mom freaked looking for it, so I said forget this, I will let it stay with the mom. So I put it with the mom, left it and it was fine, the older it got the less it tried to take in and then he didn't look like an full tick. I am happy to say he is now 10 months old and perfectly healthy.

This is just what happened with me, hope it will help. Good Luck.

 

[Starlight Rabbitry]

It may not be from overfeeding...it could be because it needs to go to the bathroom. Kits have to be stimulated to urinate. To do this, take the baby out and rub a cottonball soaked in warm water on its belly towards its genitals. Do this until the baby urinates.

If this does not solve the problem, you can definitely take the baby away from mom but do this as a last resort.

Sharon

 

[MsBinky]

Starlight Rabbitry wrote:

It may not be from overfeeding...it could be because it needs to go to the bathroom. Kits have to be stimulated to urinate. To do this, take the baby out and rub a cottonball soaked in warm water on its belly towards its genitals. Do this until the baby urinates.

If this does not solve the problem, you can definitely take the baby away from mom but do this as a last resort.

Sharon

I thought that too. Could it be?

 

[Ivory]

I was always under the impression that rabbits don't have to be stimulated to urinate or defacate after four-five days.

Edit: Let me rephrase that: I was always under the impression that it is likely that kits can urinate from birth, it is sometimes a sensible precaution up to that period of time.

Well, we will try and see.